Photos by L.G. Patterson

Not all sauces are created equal, and when it comes to steak, there’s one that stands out — this rich, flavorful steak au poivre sauce. It’s the perfect complement to a juicy steak, and it’s versatile enough to pair with a variety of sides, like pomme frites (french fries), mashed potatoes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts or mushrooms. If you are worried about time, it only adds a few minutes to prep and cook on top of making the steak. The whole sauce can be made during the time the steak is resting.

The Steak

My preference for a steak to eat with this sauce, or just in general, is a ribeye or a strip. The sauce will absolutely work with a filet, skirt, sirloin or any other type of meat. Traditionally the steak is coated in peppercorns, seared, finished with butter and aromatics then allowed to rest. The remaining crust or fond can be left in the pan to help fortify the sauce. Make the sauce as the steak rests.

The Pan

Most of the time I use a cast iron or black steel pan to cook a steak. It has great heat retention, is pretty much indestructible and creates a great crust on the steak. However, with making a pan sauce, acid from the liquor, mustard and other acidic ingredients may damage and remove the seasoning. A thick base stainless steel sauté pan works great to sear the steak, deglaze and make the sauce.

The Peppercorns

Do not buy pre-ground pepper. Pre-ground black peppercorns will be too fine and lack flavor. As soon as the peppercorns are ground or cracked, the volatile oils start losing flavor. With pre-ground pepper, you also lose the ability to toast the peppercorns whole before crushing them. To bring out even more flavor from the peppercorns, before you start cooking your steak, toast the whole peppercorns in the dry pan with no oil over medium heat, stirring constantly. You are going to toast for three to five minutes and look for two indicators.

First, your peppercorns should give off a great aroma (you might even see a little jump or pop), and a nice hint of pepper pungentness that tingles your nostrils. Second, the color should change — depending on the moisture content in the peppercorns, they could get lighter if they pop or puff slightly. If the moisture content is low, they will get darker on the surface.

Once both things have happened, you can quickly transfer the peppercorns to your cutting board to cool for another three to five minutes. While you can use a mortar and pestle, I find it is very easy to crush the peppercorns too much, and just get small pieces that will burn.

Use a different, clean, thick-bottomed saute pan (a hot pan will prove difficult to use for the next step, you can use the pan you toasted the peppercorns in to cook the steak in a few minutes) crush the peppercorns with a pushing down, slight rocking motion. You are looking for the peppercorns to be small chunks, not crumbles.

Once you have reached your desired size, use a knife to scrape up the peppercorns and place them into a strainer in a bowl. This will allow the small pieces that would burn to fall through, keeping the rest to coat the steak. Put the large pieces onto a small pan or plate and spread out evenly. Press each side of the steak into the peppercorns, shaking out to redistribute each time. Now allow the steak to warm up while preparing the rest of your ingredients.

The Cook

I like to use a combination of butter and oil. The oil allows the smoking point to rise slightly, helping with the sear. Heat your butter and oil until the mixture almost starts to smoke, but not burn. Brown the steak on each side, probably three to four minutes per side. You are looking for a nice brown crust.

While the steak is searing, gather a few aromatics of your choice (thyme sprig, bay leaf, garlic clove, rosemary sprig or another if desired), along with two to three ounces of butter. I know this next step seems excessive, but you can save the butter to roast potatoes, cook your asparagus, or dip your bread into. Turn your heat down, and add all of the butter at once. Tilt your pan, and let the butter and aromatics infuse. Once the butter is melted, keep the pan tilted and start basting the butter and aromatics on top of the steak. You will add a ton of flavor, while also helping the steak cook evenly. This method is called arroser (aro-ze), literally meaning to moisten or baste, in French. If you keep the butter moving, it will keep bubbling and not burn.

After a few minutes, you can flip, repeat the process and cook until your desired doneness. Once your steak is done, transfer it to an upside-down spatula to rest, then quickly strain the butter into another container to reserve for later use. Gently wipe the pan free of loose peppercorns and get ready to make the sauce.

The Sauce

Once your steak is cooked and resting, your sauce will come together fairly quickly; most items can be prepared or measured a day or two in advance. Add the butter to the pan, and cook the shallots until slight color on the edges.

Add the brandy. If you do not want to flambé, keep the heat off and allow the alcohol to evaporate. If you want a short burst of flame, turn off the heat, add the brandy, then turn the heat back on and tilt the pan away from you and toward the fire. This will ignite the fumes, and burn off within 10 to 15 seconds. If you have an electric stove, do the same process, but light the fumes with a stick lighter as you tilt away. Always check your surroundings to make sure nothing will catch on fire.

You can then add the stock, cream and mustard. Reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, then add all of the butter and parsley. Swirl or whisk until all butter is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Spoon under your steak, over your steak, over your asparagus, potatoes, fries, Brussels sprouts or any other side you choose.